Chapter 5

"Good morning." Amelia shifted in her sleep. She grunted. Slowly feeling herself come awake her eyes fluttered when she felt someone beneath her, Leon. The night's events came flooding back, but she retained the urge to panic. He held her tightly beside him; her head lay on his bare chest. She didn't recall getting back into bed with him and much less snuggling like she found herself now. Could it be that unconsciously her body realized that he was so much more to her than just a passerby?

"Hey," Amelia replied a bit nervously.

"Everything alright?"

She let out a laugh, "Of course!" She flipped around and with her arms propped beside him she stared at him with a smirk on her face. "After last night, who wouldn't be?"

"Do you say that to anyone in the morning?" Leon teased earning himself a shove.

Amelia retorted as she found her way out of bed, "You need much practice with women. You can't joke around with stuff like that, Leon."

"Stay a bit longer," Leon held out his hand and gently pulled her back into bed. She let a giggle escape her. She turned to him and joined lips with him. He was gentle. Last night, both of them had been a bit rash and passionate. This was different.

She smiled as they separated, "you're addicting."

"So are you," Leon smiled and brushed away the bangs from her face.

"Don't," Amelia pulled away lightly.

"Why?" Leon asked genuinely.

"Please don't," she replied and brushed back the bangs to her face. "It bugs me…my face."

Leon stared at her seriously, "Amelia, it's nothing."

"It is. It is to me, so please don't," she said and apologetically kissed his cheek before sitting up. After moments of silence she spoke up, "Do you remember when we met?"

"Yes."

.

.

Leon carefully thread the facility that a terrorist group had just abandoned. The BSAA hoped to find clues of where the group had relocated to. Forced to evacuate under a small time frame meant they mustn't had time to be all too careful to destroy records and the like. Leon now led several soldiers in charge of data retrieval.

It wasn't really meant to be his mission, but being around the area the job fell on him. Leon paced firmly, testing ground, as he highlighted rooms and halls with his flashlight. No signs of survivors, despite the known fact that this group was infamous for kidnappings. Leon walked on. He had almost finished the basement when a noise caught his attention.

It was a light noise, so at first he made nothing of it and proceeded. He was about to leave the room when the noise was heard again. It was like a voice, but part of him believed it to be his imagination. Leon looked around carefully and listened ever silently until he identified that the noise was indeed coming from there.

It was hard to define this noise and much more so to pinpoint it. It was light and easily carried by the wind and it was separate. The intervals were long, but he waited. It could be someone and it was.

Minutes passed and alas he couldn't quite believe it but as his flashlight analyzed the area underneath him he knew it to be true. The basement had no actual flooring at it was all dirt, but before him the dirt seemed different, turned. Whereas the soil all around him was flat the patch beneath him was bulky in places, imperfect. This part hadn't been walked on.

"Everything alright, sir?" An officer came to check on Leon.

"Help me over here!" he ordered as he placed the flashlight in between his teeth and began digging beneath him. The officer quickly joined him. The noise became more and more audible. Leon hurried only more until he came to a stop. A wooden coffin. "We need to pry it open!" he yelled as he tried to do it with his bare hands. Frustrated he looked around. Not far there was a wrench. He wasted no time in retrieving it and began prying the coffin loose.

Finally the top came off and inside lay a woman. Dried blood and tears mixed with dirt and the smell of decay. She was gagged with a dirty old rag that prevented her from yelling. It made sense that the noise he had heard was odd and not at first seeming like a human's cry. As Leon untied it from her face she began wheezing. Her voice was hoarse and blood came from her lips. How hard she must have tried to yell.

Her hands were tied before her with barbed wire. "Damn!" Leon cursed as he cut himself trying to pry her hands loose. Meanwhile the lady weak beyond relief only sat there. As Leon worked hard to release her she took ragged breaths until her forehead fell on his shoulder. Weariness overcame the victim. "It's alright, you're safe," Leon consoled. "What's your name?" He kept at the wires. When he turned to her she shook her head and let herself lean in on his shoulder. "It's okay, I got you."

"Get a chopper sent here immediately," Leon ordered as he finished removing the barbed wire. He gently lay her hands on her lap. The cuts on her wrist seemed to be but one of the few things she suffered from. She had bruises on her face, deep scars on her side of the face, she also lacked nails, and her breathing suggested something was terribly wrong internally. The officer did as he was told.

Leon picked the lady up and easily carried her back outside. She was beyond famished. She had survived but mending all the wounds she had gone through would take time. He pitied her. As he carried her outside he thought hard not to think of all the torture she had endured for God knows how long.

.

.

Amelia thought back on the feeling of sunlight after two years. How it had startled her and awoken her into her senses. The smells of the outside world shocked her. Having only dankness of mold and decay surround her for years she felt bewildered. She recalled Leon's voice gently assuring her that she was safe.

Amelia tied the sash on her robe as she brought her thoughts back. "The mission, who did you say we needed to find?"

"I didn't." Leon sat up and began dressing. "The papers are over there," motioning to a coffee table, "if you want to review them."

Amelia turned to them, "Right."

Leon walked to her and pat her shoulder, "We still have this morning before us so let's put off work for now. Hunnigan will alert us when we can get clearance to enter the next town." Amelia smiled a half-hearted smile. Leon felt her distance so he retracted his hand. "I'll get us breakfast."

"Leon?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Leon smiled.